Process of forming sheet metal pipe fittings



Patented Feb. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PROCESS OF FORMING SHEET LIETALPIPE FITTINGS Edward 8. Cornell, Jr., Larchmont, N. Y.

Application December 31, 1931 Serial No. 584,021

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to pipe fittings and more particularly toan improved method of construction of a T or equivalent device and thearticle produced thereby.

In the system of piping as invented by me and as described in myco-pending application Serial No. 555,032, filed August 4, 1931, and mycopending thereof continuing application Serial No. 589,595, filedJanuary 29th, 1932, which lastnamed application resulted in U. 8. Patent#1,850,049, patented March th, 1932, the various fittings as elbows, Ts,unions and the like are formed of metal, and preferably of sheet copper,of approximately the thickness of the pipe to 15 which the fittings areconnected and such fittings are preferably built without either externalor internal threads, the internal and external diameters of the portionsof the connectors adapted to be attached to lengths of pipe being equalto or substantially equal toeither the internal or external diameter ofthe connecting pipe, the joints between the fittings and the lengths ofpipe being soldered or "sweated. The present invention is an improvedmethod of constructing a T or equivalent device from a blank of sheetcopper, he laterally projecting member being formed integral with thesheet copper, the remainder of the metal being then folded about amandrel or equivalent device into cylindrical form and the joiningportion of the edges of the blank are closed by a means and by a methodwhich causes a cold fiow of the material into a unitary mass to therebyobtain a fluid-tight joint.

An object of my invention, therefore, is an improved method of makingpipe fittings.

Another object of my invention is an improved pipe fitting.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the improved article and thevarious steps of the process by which the same is manufactured,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a T;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the T is made,'the laterallyextending portion having been formed in the center of the blank;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2 showing the same in position on amandrel preparatory to forming the main cylindrical portion of the T;

Fig. 4 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. 3 but after thesucceeding step in the process has been performed thereon;

Fig. 5 is a view of the structure shown in Figs. 3 and 4 showing thenext succeeding step in the process performed thereon;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the joint connecting member;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a partially completed T in position on amandrel and showing the joint connecting element being forced intoposition thereon;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the joint portion 00 of the T preparatoryto cold welding the joint connecting strip shown in Fig. 6 onto thejoint of the main cylindrical portion of the T; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged end elevation of the joint portion of the T afterthe cold welding operation 05 has been performed thereon.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 2, 10 designates ablank which has formed thereon by the usual drawing processes, alaterally extending tubular section 11. The oPD site edges of the blank10 are folded up and extend at approximately an angle of 45 to the mainbody of the blank 10, these edges being indicated by the referencenumeral 12. The blank 10 after these preliminary operations have beenperformed thereon, is shown in Fig. 3 and rests on a mandrel 13 or otherequivalent device, after which the laterally extending portions of theblank 10 on either side of the cylindrical member 11 are foldeddownwardly as indicated in Fig. 4, after which a succeeding operation isperformed thereon and the portions of the blank 10 on either side of thecylindrical member 11 are folded about the mandrel 13 into the positionshown in Fig. 5, where it will be seen that the rolled edges of theblank 10 abut together and that the folded edges 12 are arranged todefine an angle of about Referring to Fig. 6, there is shown a jointconnecting member comprising a main portion 90 14 having its oppositeedges folded over on one face of the main portion and these folded overportions 15 making an angle of approximately 45 with respect to the mainportion 14. This joint connecting member is then forced over the foldededges 12 to enclose the same as shown in Fig. 7 and particularly as isshown in Fig. 8. Referring to Fig. 8, 16 designates a holder, the upperportion 17 of which is curved to fit the outer diameter of the now maincylindrical portion 18 of the T, and this holder 16 is recessedlongitudinally as indicated by the reference number 19 to form a pocketin which fits the angularly bent edges 12 and the joint connectingmember shown in perspective in Fig. 6. Slidably mounted in thelongitudinal slot 19 is a plunger 20 provided with an arcuate face 21and with a projection 22 extending outwardly from such arcuate face 21and substantially centrally thereo The mandrel 13 and the holder 16 aswell as the plunger 20 are arranged in a suitable machine and pressurethen applied in the usual manner to the plunger 20 which thereupon movesupwardly as shown in Fig. 8, bringing the portions 12, 14 and 15 intosubstantial parallelism with respect to the main cylindrical portion 18of the T. Sufllcient pressure is applied to cause a cold flow, or whatis practically a cold weld of the material comprising the maincylindrical portion'18 of the T, the folded edges 12, the portion 14 andinturned edges 15 of the joint connecting member shown in perspective inFig. 6, and the projection 22 of the plunger 20 indents the portion 14as indicated at 23 localizing the pressure at this point and causing therounded bends of the opposite edge portions of the blank 10 or thecylindrical portion 18 to merge together into a straight line asindicated at 24. The resulting shape of the joint portion of the T isclearly shown in Fig. 9 and has been thus drawn for clearness ofillustration. In actual practice, however, the dividing line betweentheedges of the main cylindrical portion 18 of the T as indicated by 24, aswell as the line of demarkation between the edges 12, 15 and the mainbody 14, are obliterated due to the fact that the metal comprising theseparts flows into a unitary mass.

As appears from the above, the indenting, indicated at 23, see Fig. 9,of the central longitudinal portion of the connecting member effects thepositioning of the same under pressure at the line of meeting of thejuxtaposed faces of the rounded bends of the opposite edge portions ofthe copper sheet, thus enhancing the mechanical strength of theconnecting member to retain under pressure in immediate contact thejuxtaposed faces of the rounded bends, and to derive a commerciallysatisfactory sealed joint.

It will be further observed that the projection 22 of the plunger 20, asis indicated in Fig. 9, eflects an additional bending of the turned-outedges of the edge portions, and results in an interlocking of increasedstrength of the connecting member with the thus bent turned-out edges ofthe ed e P rtions of the copper body.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specificformations thereof. it will be understood that many changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim.

The method of forming a T from a sheet of copper, which consists intaking a sheet of copper of desired length and of a width greater thanthe circumference of the T to be formed, forming the lateral opening andthe cylindrical wall of the lateral opening, folding the sheet of copperdistributed on each side of the axis of the lateral opening about acylindrical mandrel .to proximate more and more cylindrical contour toform the body of the T, the mandrel having an outer diameter closelyapproximating the inner diameter of the resulting cylindrical body ofthe T, bending the juxtaposed edges of the sheet of copper to positionthe excess of copper at the respective edge portions to lie exteriorlyof the body of the T and at an angle to one another, sliding over thethus formed angularly positioned edges a member having a substantiallyflat body portion and further having its edges inturned to enclose theangularly positioned edges of the sheet of copper forming the body andapplying pressure by means of a punch having a projection on itseffective face jointly to the juxtaposed edges of the sheet of copperand the connecting member to dually fold the edges of the copper sheetand the inturned edges of the connecting member into close associationwith one another while inturning the connecting member substantiallycentrally and longitudinally of its body portion to therebysubstantially indent the connecting member at the stated centrallongitudinal portion of its body relative to the remainder of its bodyand to position such central longitudinal indented portion of theconnecting member in immediate contact under pressure with the adjacentfaces of the juxtaposed edge portions.

EDWARD S. CORNELL. JR.

